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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · racket · branch · mine · trunk · field · rush · suit

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. suit — clothes
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. field — for sport
  9. branch — a division
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. field — farmland
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. land — to come down
  20. rush — hurry
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mine — for digging
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com